World No.1 Disabled Golfer Set To Make Historic Asian Tour Start
The world's top disabled golfer Kipp Popert has been given an exemption to play in the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour
The World No.1 disabled golfer Kipp Popert has been given an exemption to play in the Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour.
The eighth of the 10 International Series events on the Asian Tour, it's a big tournament being held at Fanling and a big stage for Popert to perform on.
Popert is top of the tree in disabled golf and recently claimed the G4D Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai after a dominating season.
The 25-year-old Englishman won five of the 10 events on the DP World Tour G4D Tour season, including the G4D Open in May, the inaugural G4D Tour Nations Cup at the Belfry and G4D event at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Popert will now be able to showcase his golfing skills with the rest of a top field at the International Series event in Hong Kong.
“I am very excited to be playing the LINK Hong Kong Open in 2024," said Popert. I relish the opportunity to continue to prove to myself and others that golfers with disability have the skills and talent to compete professionally.
"I look forward to visiting Hong Kong and engaging with the fans next week.”
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Popert is also looking to publicise just how much golf has helped in dealing with all the struggles he has had to overcome dealing with cerebral palsy.
“It is a powerful force, being at a disadvantage at the start, because you learn that you have to work hard to achieve what you want," said Popert. "I think it gives you that drive and that work ethic that you can become whatever you want to be in life.
"Just because you have cerebral palsy does not mean you cannot achieve anything you want to, it just means you have got to find your way of doing it, and when you do find a way, and when you come through the setback, you’re going to be a more dominant force, including mentally.”
The tournament takes place at Hong Kong Golf Club from 21-14 November.
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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